Pro-Ject Xtension 9 Evolution

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Pro-Ject Xtension 9 Evolution

Friday, April 4, 2014

The latest serious turntable from Pro-Ject, the Xtension 9 Evolution has an ultra dense MDF chassis, that gives high mass and is “non-resonant”. Magnetic feet decouple the plinth and “effectively isolate” the 16kg total mass from external vibration which Pro-Ject considers “adds up to a combination of 'mass loaded' principle and 'floating turntable' design”.

The platter is an aluminium alloy which is damped with thermo plastic elastomers (TPE) and topped with recycled vinyl records, the 'sandwich' being baked before machining. It has an inverted ceramic bearing (ball & plate) with magnetic suspension. This “virtually reduces the platter-mass so the platter `floats ́ on the bearing” with minimal rumble.

The Xtension 9 Evolution features quartz-generated high precision electronic speed regulation (Speed Box) with microprocessor control. “Absolutely clean AC power is generated” and fed to a built-in synchronous motor. Quartz regulation and a dedicated filter circuit are said to give” far better speed stability for smooth and undisturbed motor operation”. This also confers the benefit of electronic speed change.

Tonearm 9cc Evolution has a conical carbon-fibre arm tube in order to minimise standing wave reflections. It has an inverted bearing with four ABEC7 spec ballraces for minimum friction. A solid armbase permits accurate height adjustment of armtube and VTA (vertical tracing angle). Azimuth (horizontal tracking) can be adjusted precisely, by rotating armtube. The tonearm is designed to “lead all parasitic vibration away from the cartridge. Via rigid one-piece carbon armtube and ultra-massive cardan rings [me neither!], vibration is transferred into the heavy-weight anti vibrational tone arm base. All these features guarantee precise tracking of the needle in the groove.” For universal use with nearly all quality cartridges, four different counterweights are included as an accessory for cartridge masses from 5 to 14 grams.

Highly flexible “top-grade” copper internal wiring gives ultimate results and is combined with a 5-pole premium connector cable with RCA or XLR plugs. An unbalanced arm cable is delivered as standard, balanced XLR by request. The phono cable is made in Europe in co-operation with Van den Hul and uses twin-core (balanced) geometry with very low capacitance (75pF/m), dense silver coated high purity OFC and linear structured carbon saturated layers, and is PVC-free. RCA and XLR plugs have silver plated contacts for best connectivity.